SAD 41 looking at apportionment committee

MILO — The SAD 41 Board of Directors is made up of 10 members with five from Milo, three from Brownville and two from LaGrange. 

Before the community deorganized for the 2019-20 fiscal year, Atkinson had a pair of seats on the school board. The number of directors is based on population which per the 2020 Census, are 2,251, 1,139, and 635, respectively.

SAD 41 may alter the number of board members or keep it at 10, because district officials are looking at an apportionment committee to examine the number of seats for each community.

Superintendent Michael Wright discussed the concept during the Oct. 5 meeting at the Penquis Valley School.

“We would be looking for the board to authorize the superintendent to reach out to (Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin) about forming an apportionment committee,” Wright said. A vote on authorizing Wright’s action could be taken at the November meeting, and the committee would be appointed sometime after that if Makin grants approval to establish the SAD 41 apportionment committee.

The superintendent said the committee would be composed of board members and municipal officers from each town as well as citizens-at-large. 

“The committee’s basic challenge would be how many board members do you want from each town,?” he said, such as a certain number per 1,000 residents.

Wright said if the board is too large, then the issue of having a quorum arises. A half decade ago, SAD 41 had to reschedule some of its regular board meetings when a quorum could not be verified during the day of the evening session. 

“When the dust settles, things likely won’t change significantly,” the superintendent said.

Board votes are weighted, but over the years the majority of school actions have been decided by majorities or near majorities, and tabulations beyond a show of hands were rare.

In other business, the board heard updates on the high school and middle school student councils. 

High school adviser Jay Murano said the students were unable to attend the meeting with the girls soccer game across town going to double overtime vs. Penobscot Valley High School of Howland (0-0 was the final result), but the council will hold a trunk or treat event on campus from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29.

“November kicks off basketball season. Thankfully we will be able to have the snack shack this year,” Murano said.

Penquis Valley Middle School Principal Tina Dumond said 45 interested students attended a preliminary student council meeting on Sept. 21 to discuss various fundraising and event ideas. They also learned that they represent their school at all times and should conduct themselves accordingly.

Dumond said the student council elections are carried out via a blind electronic ballot. “No names, it’s based on what the students wrote,” she said, as the student body votes on anonymous stated reasons why candidates would be a good fit.

The school board also appointed the winter basketball and cheer coaches. 

Sam Brown will lead the Patriot boys and Camron Bailey will serve as JV coach. Molly McGinn is the girls coach and Jess Atkinson the JV coach. Cheer coach is Tammy Murano.

For the middle school Railroaders, Erika Landry is the boys coach and Derek Perkins is the girls coach. Amanda Beckwith will lead middle school cheer.